Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 710: A Courteous Refusal
TL: Rui88
“Fortunately, the recruitment for our army has already begun.”
Rodney XVIII said with no small amount of relief, “This way, we can prevent the surrounding petty thieves from getting any ideas while the kingdom has just suffered a defeat.”
He looked at Paul with some gratitude. “Thanks to the large amount of military scrip transported from the West Bay, a steady stream of strong young men is joining the kingdom’s army.”
“I have to say, Paul, the idea you proposed is brilliant. It can be said to be a great contribution.”
Paul nodded. “Your Majesty, I am glad it could function as intended.”
The king continued, “In the days you were away, two large camps were built outside Crystal Shine, one to the south and one to the north. I have an initial plan to train a standing army of fifty thousand men.”
“A standing army of fifty thousand?” Catherine exclaimed. “That is a huge number.”
“Yes,” the king nodded. “Without military scrip, this would have been unimaginable in the past.”
Previously, the model for the kingdom’s army was to maintain only a small elite force of noble sons and knights in peacetime, and then temporarily conscript soldiers to form a large army in times of war.
Catherine shook her head. “But in my opinion, even with military scrip, this will be very difficult to achieve. After all, military scrip also needs to be backed by a large amount of corresponding goods.”
“And for those officers, they won’t be satisfied with just obtaining daily necessities. Their remuneration must be in real metal currency.”
The king put on a serious expression. “You’re right. This is why I want to carry out reforms.”
At this point, Paul interjected, “As far as I know, the construction of the special economic zone centred on Port West has been very effective. Hasn’t it brought some benefit to the kingdom’s finances?”
“Oh… well.” The king’s tone faltered for a moment. “The special economic zone has benefited the kingdom greatly, but the kingdom’s government already had a large deficit. The income from the special zone has only just covered the previous deficit. Oh!”
Rodney XVIII suddenly clutched his forehead in pain. “Now that a large territory in the north has been lost, one can imagine that another large group of nobles will come to seek refuge in Crystal Shine, just like those loyalists who came from the south because of Jars’ rebellion. It took a great deal of effort to settle them at that time.”
He suddenly stood up from the sofa again, seeming to be full of strength, and hope reappeared on his face.
“I declare, from this moment on, I will appoint you…”
He pointed at Paul. “Marquis Paul Grayman, you will serve as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Ordo and fully promote the reform of the entire kingdom.”
When these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked.
Paul stood up with a troubled expression. “What about Lord Rupert?”
“Oh, I thank him for his great contributions to the kingdom, but honestly, he is indeed getting a bit old.”
“Your Majesty, I thank you for your trust, but please also forgive me for being unable to accept such a heavy responsibility.”
Rodney XVIII frowned. “Why?”
Paul replied firmly, “With my shallow wisdom and mediocre ability, I may be competent to govern a territory, but I truly cannot bear the heavy responsibility of the entire kingdom.”
The king was silent for a moment, clearly very unhappy with his words.
“What if I insist on appointing you?”
“Your Majesty, I understand your urgency, but please do not act impulsively,” Paul said sincerely. “The complex political environment of Ordo is really not something an outsider like me from the frontier can sort out. Rashly appointing me to such an important position will only make things worse.”
Rodney XVIII said with dissatisfaction, “When you encounter difficulties, you solve them. Can I interpret your words as evasion? As a noble of the sword whose honour is tied to the kingdom, shouldn’t you rise to the challenge?”
Seeing the atmosphere between the two become tense, Catherine quickly stood up to smooth things over.
“Your Majesty, if we are to recover the kingdom’s lands occupied by the orcs in the future, the Northwest Bay will need to be built into a large military camp, to serve as the departure point and logistical base for the future army. As of now, there is no one more suitable for this role than Paul.”
The king fell silent again. After a long while, he sighed. “Alright, what Catherine said does make sense.”
He looked at Paul helplessly. “You slippery eel, you might as well stay where you belong.”
Paul glanced at his fiancée gratefully.
“But…” Rodney XVIII raised his voice again. “From today onwards, I will also establish a reform advisory group, and you will serve as my chief advisor. This time, it is an irrevocable order. You must accept it, Paul Grayman, or you will be defying the crown on my head!”
Paul placed a hand on his chest and bowed slightly. “I am honoured to accept Your Majesty’s appointment.” It was just giving advice; as long as he wasn’t being held over a fire, it was fine.
Rodney XVIII secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He then heard Paul say again, “It’s just that the advice I can offer may be scattered, unsystematic, and even untimely. Whether it can be truly implemented still requires careful discernment by Your Majesty and those wise men who are as intelligent as you.”
The king smiled somewhat helplessly. “Ha, you really are a non-stick pan. Don’t worry, I won’t tie you down for too long. What you need to do in Crystal Shine is to write down everything you can think of, down to the last detail, to provide ideas for future reforms. Then you can return to the West Bay to prepare for war.”
“Yes!”
“Ah, right!” Rodney XVIII added, “Crystal Shine’s new army will be trained according to the model of the Alda army. Paul, I hope you can dispatch a group of people to pass on their experience.”
“Of course.”
“And… weapons.”
“Ah?”
Rodney XVIII smiled. “I’ve seen the reports. Your firearms are immensely powerful. It would be wonderful if the kingdom’s army could be universally equipped with them.”
“This…”
“At a time like this, I hope you won’t be secretive! And it’s not like I’m asking you to hand them over for free. That thing you have… Northwest Industries, right? It will serve as Ordo’s largest arms supplier. The kingdom’s government will purchase from you at a clearly marked price.”
Paul breathed a sigh of relief, then asked worriedly, “I hope that the protection of patents also applies to…”
“Naturally!” Before he could finish, Rodney XVIII confirmed it.
Paul was finally at ease. “Very well, Your Majesty. Northwest Industries will do its utmost to cooperate with you in building the new army of the kingdom.”
Like other technologies, the proliferation of firearms was inevitable. Rather than waiting for others to steal them secretly, it was better to promote an orderly environment that was beneficial to himself.
